I cannot believe I am losing two of my bridesmaids. I’m tempted to eat carbohydrates.”
“Don’t do it!” Caitlin protects her pretzel with extra mustard. “And I don’t know about New York yet. I’m visiting one more time before I make a decision.”
Sadie is chewing beef jerky, which is absurd since she is a filet mignon filly and even more comical as she is sitting on a child-sized chair at the city park—the only place we could all get to for an emergency meeting.
“Did Beau take it better than Sadie?” Angelica straddles a rocking mini-dolphin while sipping her lunch of iced tea. Since seeing the scary horizontal stripes of the bridesmaid dresses, Angelica has been living on wheat grass, wheat germ, and green tea.
I dig through my brown bag filled with grapes, yogurt, and tortilla chips. Nothing is appealing. “He was great. First we had to get through about fifteen minutes of apologizing for recent behavior.” I balance a plastic spork on my nose.
“I’m so sorry about your dad. I think it is great how you are willing to give up work and love to help your family,” Caitlin said, romanticizing my actions.
I hold up my hand in protest. “Wait. I’m not giving up any of those things. Am I? I can go home, be of help for a few months, and return to everything. Who knows, maybe I will be back before the wedding. It is strange, but I didn’t even have to think about it.”
“Well, I could not leave that to chance. Here.” Sadie hands me a piece of paper with a lot of digits.
“Lottery numbers?”
“No.” She looks around shyly as if having second thoughts. “These are the numbers for Carson’s mileage account. He insists that you fly home, Tucson home, once a month. Or more, if you want to.”
I stare at the paper. In my mind I visualize a United States map and a cartoon plane leaving dashes in its wake as it moves from DC to Tucson and back again. “This is too generous, Sadie. Carson barely knows me.”
“He is doing it for me too. His life will be unbearable if my maid of honor is not available at my beck and call.”
“I’m a beck-and-call girl now? Uh-oh, maybe these aren’t my lucky numbers.” I tuck the piece of corporate envelope into my pocket. “Thanks, Sadie. Tell Carson how much I appreciate this. It will help ease the hurt of being away from you guys and the residents. I will miss them.”
“And Beau,” Angelica prods.
“Of course Beau. That is a given.” I hedge back to an appropriate answer. I will miss Beau. But I’ve been missing him for several months, and we are in the same town.
“How will they do without you at Golden Horizons? You put in tons of hours there these days.”
“Well, that isn’t all diligence. Beau is working a lot, so I stay late. But I’ve been training Sonya to take over some of my responsibilities and,” I nod toward Angelica, “our friend and her little sister, Rachel, are volunteering to cover the reading hour, music sessions, and the Scrabble tournament.”
A round of praises for Angelica. “You stuck it out with the Big Brother, Big Sister program?” Sadie asks, impressed.
“I quit quitting, don’t you know?”
“How long do we have you?” Caitlin asks me a bit reluctantly.
“Until the end of the week. Everything is set. Beau is even taking some time off from his busy schedule to hang out with me…”
“About time,” Angelica mumbles somewhat loudly.
I ignore her and continue. “And remember my former neighbor, Yvette? She and Zane are going to use my apartment while they wait to move into their new house.”
“No pouting during your last week. Everything will turn out fine, Mari. Your dad will be back to good health soon, and before we know it…”
“Get off! You’re too big!” A little and yet loud voice interrupts Sadie.
“And old!” Another annoying set of vocal cords adds.
Our impromptu gathering is invaded by the three-foot-and-under set. A young girl in a neon purple swimsuit with turquoise piping pulls on Angelica’s leg while a little boy pokes his index finger in Sadie’s ear. They are both armed with suckers.
“Well, you heard them, ladies. We’re fat and old. Guess we’ll go eat worms.”
“Gross.” The Mini Me bathing beauty confuses her universal signs and pinches her nose between her thumb and forefinger.
“Where’s your mother?” Angelica insists.
“Where’s your mother?” The girl bellows back in the same tone Angelica used.
“Let’s go. If the police get involved, we’ll lose. I guarantee it.” I motion for my friends to follow me before this turns to Blow Pops.
“Can you believe kids today?” Sadie brushes grass off her slacks and rubs sucker residue out of her ear with the hem of her blouse sleeve.
Angelica starts laughing uncontrollably. Between fits and starts she manages her joke. “Sadie, at least your ‘something old’ is taken care of for your wedding.”